B'luru boy wins silver medal at IFSC Para-climbing World Cup

Bengaluru: India's champion para climber, Manikandan Kumar, who recently won silver at IFSC Para-climbing World Cup in Salt Lake City, USA, is now eyeing Olympic gold. SJS Enterprises has been financially supporting the young man since 2015.

Manikandan is the only Indian climber ever to win 5 gold medals, 11 silver medals, and 3 bronze medals in the history of the sport. So far, no one from India has ever bagged so many medals and made a mark in this stream of sports.

With the objective of encouraging budding global champions, SJS has been backing Manikandan Kumar by paying his travel and accommodation expenses to compete in various global meets.

"Extensive support from SJS has helped me keep my focus on winning medals for our country. Financial support for an athlete is crucial, especially for sponsoring international visits and the right equipment for training. Currently, my focus is on winning an Olympic gold medal for India and will continue to work hard to achieve this dream one day," said Manikandan.

"I'm forever grateful for the kind of support I've been receiving from SJS Enterprises and will continue to make our country proud by winning more medals in the near future."

CEO and Executive Director of SJS Enterprises, Sanjay Thapar, said, "We admire the indomitable spirit that Manikandan demonstrates to succeed battling all the odds."

"Our team is impressed with Manikandan's perseverance and his continued outstanding achievements on the national and international platforms since 2015. We are glad that our contribution towards encouraging potential athletes like Manikandan will motivate him to strive for Gold at the Olympics 2024, France"

"Manikandan is the first Indian climber to become a Para-climbing World Champion in 2012 in Paris, and it is an honour for us to fund such a diligent person for the future. Athletes like him, in particular, require media attention in India to inspire others," Thapar added.

SJS has always played a pivotal role in the improvement and advancement of society, including strengthening government schools and partnering with local panchayats for rural development.